Since 1989, HSA Golden has performed thousands of Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) for developers, lending institutions, attorneys, real estate firms, corporations, governmental agencies, and individuals. A Phase I ESA satisfies one of the requirements for the innocent landowner defense of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and is used to identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs). As defined by ASTM International Standard Practice E1527-00, an REC refers to conditions that indicate a past, existing, or future release, or a threat of a release, of hazardous substances or petroleum products at a site. If RECs are identified, a recommendation for a Phase II ESA is typically made; such a study may include sampling of soil, groundwater, building materials, or other media as indicated by the results of the Phase I investigation. As a rule, HSA Golden will maintain open communications with clients to avoid project delays when encountering unexpected RECs; combining Phase I with Phase II investigations and reports often saves our clients considerable time, cost, as well as anxiety when site conditions warrant detailed investigation.